Letters to the Editor: 01.11.06

Thank you for returning Thomas Friedman to theViewpoints Page. I had
started to wonder if the Caller-Times had stopped printing his
opinions.

"Our oil gluttony props up world's corrupt regimes" (Saturday, Jan.
7) introduces his term "petrolism" which, in my view, clearly defines
some of the most pressing problems of the world. And he has the courage
to call the present administration to task without soft-pedaling their
failures.

In the same issue, the story about Heartland Energy's wind plants of
Baffin Bay gives hope that we may actually muddle through the current
nonsense to a position of reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil
and getting back to the real meaning of the word "conservative."

Joan Allison

Live oaks lost

No! No! No! No! Whoever wrote that editorial propaganda "Rockport
determined to take care of its picturesque oaks" in the Caller-Times of
Dec. 22 must be dismissed because of total ineptitude.

Recently the Rockport City Council (with recommendation from
Planning and Zoning) approved the leveling of 30 acres of these
so-called treasured live oak trees between the west end of Chaparral
and Mesquite streets for residential development (it was and is zoned
R-1).

The Planning and Zoning Board told us the only question before us is
whether the lots are going to be 5,000 square feet or 7,000 square
feet.

Mr. Henry may save some of these silent live oaks. But the few
remaining will be minute in comparison to those in the woodpile. It is
a travesty to think of such approved destruction.

Statements like: "We saved everything we could. It was a fair and
balanced agreement. Neither party got everything they wanted. The
Planning and Zoning Board recommended the approval and the elected City
Council approved it."

Such statements are all typical. Only citizen action will preserve
the live oaks that Rockport now selectively desires to retain.
"Greenbacks kill nature" should have been the title of the editorial.
And then it should have been rewritten in its entirety.

We invite everyone to visit this 30-acre site in Rockport and decide
for themselves. Then demand a retraction of the editorial.

Ralph B. Finkle Jr.

(Fulton)

Too late?

I read the Caller-Times daily, and Wednesday with the report of the
12 miners being alive I was relieved, only to find out on the Internet
that they were actually dead.

You stated as your reason for the mistake that the printing deadline
is 11 p.m.

Then I was watching the UT vs. USC game Wednesday night, and the
game wasn't over until after 11:30 p.m., and yet there was the right
story on the paper I receive at home, with pictures of Vince Young
holding the championship trophy.

Is a sports game more important than people's lives? If so, I find
this very disturbing. Whatever happened to "Stop the presses!"?

Please do a better job of reporting, especially when reporting about
the outcome of people's lives.

James Clay

(Because we knew that the championship game might run late, we
published only one edition instead of the usual two editions with a
later-than-normal press start. With the miner story, we had no way of
predicting how that breaking news would unfold. Also, the game ended
about 11:30 p.m.; the miner story changed at about 2 a.m. - The
Editor)

Sacred land

The bigger picture here is not who should claim the remains of the
Karankawa Indians found on Ennis Joslin but who is ultimately
responsible for the desecration of this sacred burial site.

Now that we know the historical sig-ificance of this land, what is
to keep further development from destroying what is left of the
area?

This land is prime real estate ready to be developed, and developed
it will be unless the city steps in and buys the land.

For those of you who have loved ones buried at Seaside, how would
you feel if developers somehow were able to buy the land the cemetery
is located on? If you say it couldn't happen, think again.

If the City of Corpus Christi didn't care enough to preserve a
historically significant Native American burial site, what makes you
think they would care if you lost a cemetery located on prime real
estate located off Ocean Drive?

The land along Ennis Joslin belongs to Native American Indian Groups
of Texas. Isn't it about time we gave them back access to the land and
stop stealing their heritage?

Yes, I live on this land, which is historically significant. I can
truthfully say, I feel the tremendous sadness and power this land
exudes from its extensive history. Ghosts of its inhabitants still walk
this special ground.

Beth Engleman

Blocking walk

I am 10 years old. I really love riding my bicycle. Since being out
of school and the weather has been so nice, I have been riding a lot.
My problem is that so many people in the neighborhood park their cars
and trucks across the sidewalk, making me ride in the street.

Isn't there a law against blocking the sidewalk? I think it needs to
be enforced better for the safety of the kids.